Safety attachment for stop-watches



H. E. VON KERSBURG.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR STOP WATCHES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23,1920.

1,373,467, Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

INVENTOR.

TORNE Y.

UNITED 'STATES HARRY E. VON KERSBURG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO H. MACY & CO., IN

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR STOP-WATCHES.

Application filed November 23, 1920.

T 0 all to 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY E. VON Knnsnone, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Attachments for Stopatches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to stop watches and consists in the combinations and arrangements of elements hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the accompanying claims.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a safety attachment for a stop watch which will effectively prevent the accidental zeroizing or re-setting thereof, and which in applied position will in no way hinder the normal working of the time piece, nor in any manner interfere with the handling thereof by the time-keeper.

In the game of football a record must be kept of the actual time that the ball is in play, and this is done by a stop watch. hen the ball is out of play the watch is stopped, and when play is resumed the watch is started, and the length of time the game has progressed is thereby indicated. Both the minute and second hands of the watch are restored to zero by pressing down the stem-winder.

It is frequently necessary for a field judge, in order to closely watch the different plays, to be in the center of a mixup. He holds the stop watch in the palm of his hand ready to stop and start it as plays are ceased and resumed. In doing this he is often jostled and it frequently happens that the stem-winder of the watch is struck with suflicient force to set both the second and minute hands to zero, thereby losing all record of the duration of the game. This has happened so often that it has been proposed by certain judges of football to appoint an additional man, to stand outside the playing field with a stop watch and keep time and check the Watch of the field judge.

To avoid these difiiculties the present invention contemplates the employment of a safety device to be attached to a stop watch which will prevent the accidental re-setting of the second and minute hands, but adapted Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Serial No. 425,984.

to be released for the purpose of resetting these hands in the usual way.

The invention is disclosed by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a front view of a watch showing the attachment applied thereto;

Fig. 2, a side elevational view thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the attachment per se.

Referring to the construction in further detail, indicates a stop watch having the usual second and minute hands, and 5 rep resents the ordinary starting and stopping device therefor. The winding and re-setting stem 6 has a knurled head 7, and S indicates the ordinary chain attaching ring.

The safety device per 86 consists of a ring or collar 9 fitted on the stem 6 immediately adjacent the casing of the watch, and having a bar or extension member 10 hinged to the ring, as at 11; and said member 10 carries a yoke 12 adapted to embrace the upper portion of the watch stem 6 immediately adjacent the knurled head 7 thereof after the manner illustrated in Fig. 1.

In operation the device is moved to the position shown in Fig. 1 when it is desired to prevent the accidental resetting of the second and minute hands of the watch, 2'. 6., during the time that the football is in play; and for the purpose of re-setting the watch the device is moved to the position indicated in Fig. 2, which permits this to be done in the usual way.

It will be understood, of course, that this invention is applicable for like service in a game of basketball, polo, etc., or in fact in any athletic game in which a stop watch is required.

The illustration shows a particular embodiment of the invention though it is understood, of course, that the invention may be carried out in other ways, and that therefore the present disclosure is to be considered in an illustrative sense only and not as a limiting one.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A stop watch, and a device adapted to prevent accidental re-setting thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. A stop Watch, and a device associated With the Winding stem thereof adapted to prevent accidental re-setting thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. A stop Watch, and a safety device adapted to engage With the winding stem thereof to prevent accidental thereof, substantially as set forth.

4. A stop Watch having a winding and re-setting stem, and a safety catch mounted on the stem and adapted to engage therewith to prevent accidental re-setting thereof, substantially as set forth.

5. A stop Watch having a Winding and re-setting stem, and a safety device therefor comprising a holding member adapted to be attached to the stem, and a movable part mounted on the holding member adapt ed to engage With the stem to prevent the re-setting vent the re-setting operation thereof, sub-.

stantially as set forth. 7

1. A sarety device for stop Watches comprislng a ring member adapted to be fitted to the Watch stem, an arm hinged to said ring member, and a yoke piece carried by said arm adapted to engage with the stem and prevent the re-setting operation thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY E. VON KERSBURG. 

